Lambert-St Louis reopens tornado damaged Concourse C

Lambert-St Louis International Airport will reopen Concourse C for flights today – nearly a year after it was damaged in a tornado strike.

Lambert-St Louis International Airport will reopen Concourse C for flights today – nearly a year after it was damaged in a tornado strike.

The concourse was closed on April 22, 2011 after sustaining heavy roof, window and interior damage from a tornado and related storms.

"We made a commitment to the St Louis region to restore and reopen the concourse as quickly as possible," says Lambert director, Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge.

"Our airport partners, along with countless crews and contractors, have been working tirelessly over the last several months to complete tornado repairs and complete other renovations that were already planned for the Concourse prior to the tornado. The end result will be the experience of a brand new concourse."

Her thoughts are echoed by St Louis City Mayor, Francis Slay, who notes: "The repairs and renovations have made the Concourse C look better than ever.

"I'm confident that these repairs and upgrades will make traveling through Lambert International Airport an even more enjoyable experience. I thank Airport officials for their thoughtful provisions while this concourse was closed."

During the nearly one-year closure, Concourse C airlines operated out of the B and D concourses, which closed yesterday after final flight on Sunday night.

American Airlines (C6, C8, C10, C12), Frontier Airlines (C15, C23) and Cape Air (C5, C7) will move their operations overnight to their home gates in the newly renovated Concourse C.

The previously planned renovations that were completed along with tornado restoration projects include an all-new tiled corridor, brighter ceilings, oval "cloud" lighting, fully renovated restrooms, new signage, digital directory maps and five sets of art glass screens created by local artists.

Passengers will experience a new lineup of stores and restaurants which were also renovated because of the tornado damage.